No doubt streaming video games on platforms like Twitch and YouTube has become immensely popular in recent years. But which platform is the best for gaming entertainment? In this article, we compare Twitch vs YouTube vs Facebook Gaming to help you make a decision.
The most crucial choice is probably which streaming service to use. The ideal situation would be to be able to stream simultaneously on multiple platforms to “catch” followers and viewers from all over. The platforms themselves do not frequently support streamers who offer the same content on multiple sites that are direct competitors, so it is not the best approach if you intend to devote your career to streaming.
Having said that, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook in this post. Which is superior, and which should you continue using?
YouTube
YouTube is a popular streaming platform for gamers. With its vast library of videos and easy to use interface, YouTube is great for anyone looking to quickly and easily share their gaming exploits with the world.
Although it also provides the option of streaming, YouTube is primarily known for the videos uploaded by content producers. But is this the best tool for the job? Let’s examine the benefits and drawbacks:
Advantages and Disadvantages of YouTube
✅ Popularity: Without a doubt, YouTube is one of the most popular platforms that gathers huge user traffic. Therefore, you will have more opportunities to be “seen” in this sense.
✅ Unify everything in one channel: if apart from streaming you are going to upload content to your channel, YouTube will allow you to unify everything on its platform and have all your followers and viewers concentrated in a single channel. This is more comfortable and practical when it comes to taking care of your hearing. Of course, you can do it directly on another platform but YouTube remains very inflexible with the competition, so on the other hand it could harm you if you do it this way.
✅ Easy setup: anyone can make a direct on YouTube. The configuration to start streaming is very simple, which is an advantage if you do not know much about the terrain.
⛔ Copyright issues: It is common knowledge that YouTube has very strict copyright restrictions. This means that if you use music or certain images from movies, for example, you will lose the monetization of the video or direct. Considering that it is the main source of income for the platform, not having this money is a great disadvantage. And of course, on a creative level, copyright issues greatly restrict your freedom as a streamer or content creator.
⛔ Restrictions with other platforms: as we mentioned before, YouTube likes exclusivity, so it will harm you if you promote competing platforms on your channel, especially Twitch, as we explain in this post.
⛔ Unreliable algorithm: sometimes it isn’t easy to understand the Youtube algorithm, and on many occasions, it will not give you enough visibility. There are also certain problems with notifications, many times your subscribers do not receive them and will not know when you start a direct or upload a video.
⛔ Little accessible: if you have a problem with your YouTube channel, contacting them is almost impossible. At the administrative level, they are not accessible and you will not receive personalized attention at all. So if something happens with your channel, “garlic and water”.
⛔ Competition: Just as YouTube is one of the most popular platforms, there is also a lot of competition. If you want to make yourself known, you will have to remain constant and arm yourself with patience and effort.
Twitch
Twitch is by far the most popular streaming platform for gaming. With its simple interface and easy to use features, Twitch is perfect for anyone looking to stream their gaming exploits live.
Without a doubt, Twitch is the streaming service that has expanded the most recently. Twitch is home to the largest streaming community in both Spain and America. Is Twitch the best streaming platform?
Advantages and Disadvantages of Twitch
✅ Popularity: as we said, Twitch is the streaming platform par excellence. It is exclusively created for this and its interface shows it. In addition, it offers you a preview of the most popular games of the moment, an indicator that can help you understand what is moving in the video game market.
✅ Affiliate programs and subscriptions: Twitch offers several monetization options for its streamers: not only through advertising but also through its affiliate and subscription programs. This not only means a greater opportunity for monetization but also to create links with your community. Actually, the advantages offered by the Twitch affiliate program are its strongest point.
✅ No copyright limits: At the moment, unlike YouTube, Twitch has no copyright restrictions so the monetization of your streams will not be affected, and neither will your freedom as a content creator.
✅ Comprehensive analytics: All streaming platforms offer stats about their users and streaming data, but Twitch analytics are some of the most comprehensive and will provide you with interesting insights about your community.
⛔ Competition: as happens on YouTube, being the most popular platform also has its consequences. Twitch currently brings together the majority of streamers, so being “somebody” will be quite a while.
⛔ Only streaming: this is neither an advantage nor a disadvantage, but if apart from being a streamer you also dedicate yourself to creating and editing videos, you will not be able to upload them on Twitch and you will have to combine it with YouTube. Depending on how having your followers divided into two platforms can be inconvenient.
⛔ Not very accessible: contacting the administration if you have problems with your channel is not easy at all. The attention you will receive is not immediate and neither is it personalized. Everything is written in a script.
Facebook Gaming
Facebook also has a thriving gaming community. With its easy-to-use interface and ample amount of gaming content, Facebook is perfect for gamers looking to connect with like-minded individuals and share their latest gaming highlights.
And finally, to reinvent itself, Facebook Gaming recently debuted as a streaming platform. What else do we know about Facebook Gaming?
Advantages and Disadvantages of Facebook Gaming
✅ Rewards for “streaming a lot”: The truth is that it has been difficult for us to find a differential advantage of Facebook Gaming compared to other platforms, but one of them would be that its monetization and affiliation system called Level Up can reward you for streaming hours and hours . The operation is not simple, since some “stars” are exchanged for money (100 stars = approximately 1 dollar) and Facebook Gaming can distribute some among your viewers so that they can give them to you if you stream for many hours.
✅ Little competition: as it happens in Mixer, Facebook Gaming does not retain a large number of users and streamers, so if you make a good strategy it can be a good place to grow as a streamer.
⛔ Complicated Monetization Program: This “star” structured system is not the easiest or most intuitive monetization program. It is difficult to understand and account for.
⛔ Unreliable algorithm: Facebook’s algorithm is also difficult to understand and on several occasions can harm your visibility, especially if you are just starting out. In addition, the platform prioritizes streamers who pay for advertising space.
⛔ It has a stream delay of about 15 seconds, while on the other platforms it is usually a delay of about 4 seconds, so it can hurt you when interacting with your chat, for example.
⛔ Not very modern: Facebook is still usually pigeonholed in the social network that it was and its not very modern, agile and elaborate interface does not help to renew this image.
